This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
On July 10, 2020, the Ministry of Health revealed the costs of managing COVID-19 patients in Kenya, with varying expenses depending on the severity of symptoms.
According to Dr. Patrick Amoth, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, the cost of managing asymptomatic patients is Ksh. 21,300 per day.
For patients with slight symptoms, such as a mild cough or slight difficulty in breathing, the cost increases to Ksh. 21,400 per day, as stated by Dr. Amoth during a press briefing.
However, patients with severe COVID-19 who require supplementary oxygen are cared for at a cost of Ksh. 51,000 per day, while those requiring ICU critical care support, including intubation and ventilatory support, incur a daily cost of Ksh. 71,000, as noted by Dr. Amoth.
Dr. Amoth emphasized that the economics surrounding COVID-19 patient management is the reason behind measures to encourage home-based care in Kenya.
During the press briefing, Dr. Amoth also revealed that 292 Kenyan health workers have contracted coronavirus, with 160 females and 132 males affected.
He noted that most of the health workers who care for COVID-19 patients in isolation centers are nurses, and the majority of these nurses are female.
Dr. Amoth also reported that aside from the doctor who succumbed to the disease on Friday morning, the other health workers are doing well.
Dr. Doreen Lugaliki, a doctor who died from COVID-19, was among eight people who lost their lives to the disease in the last 24 hours.
As of July 10, 2020, Kenya had reported 9,448 cases of coronavirus, 2,734 recoveries, and 181 deaths from the disease.
